Spruce Mountain junior guard Jaycee Cole (4) takes the ball down court as Madison’s Lauria LBlanc (3) chases after Cole in an MVC game at The Nest in Jay on Friday. (Tony Blasi/Sun Journal) 

JAY — Whatever trepidation Spruce Mountain junior guard Jacycee Cole was feeling didn’t prevent her from driving into the fray and scoring 16 points in the crucial third quarter at The Nest on Friday night.

Cole was summoned to keep order on the court after Haley Turcotte sat out the third stanza due to foul trouble. Thanks to Cole’s grit, the Phoenix (7-2) expanded their lead and marched off with a 52-39 victory against the obstinate Madison Bulldogs (4-4) in a girls’ Mountain Conference basketball game.

“It was very stressful…and it was a very big game for us and we lost to Hall-Dale by one and it got kind of scary because…obviously that was very stressful,” Cole said. “I am very happy with (16 points). Obviously, everybody wants to score a lot points, but I was happy with the 16. It was the highest this season (for me).”

Spruce Mountain coach Zachary Keene knew Madison was one tough customer, and keeping Turcotte, who scored the game-high 21 points, on the bench meant somebody had to step in and help hold the fort down until the fourth quarter.

Cole got the call and she answered with 16 points, including knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.

“I was most impressed how we responded in the third quarter with Haley on the bench,” Keene said. “And we had to go to the bench and Jaycee stepped up, the defense stepped up.

“They actually expanded the lead in that third period. That was really encouraging. That should boost a lot people’s confidence.

“For (Jaycee) to step up in that way, it is huge and I know she has been waiting for that moment, finally had that moment tonight. That was big.”

The Phoenix set the tone of the game right from the get-go and quickly built a 21-12 lead after one quarter, but went into halftime with a 26-19 edge after only scoring five points.

With Turcotte waiting in the wings for the fourth quarter, Cole inspired the Phoenix with her fearless drives to the basket. By the end of the third quarter, Spruce was up 40-26.

Senior guard Calley Baker was her usual stifling self on defense throughout the game, knocking down three 3-pointers and scoring 11 points.

“They (Bulldogs) are a good team,” Keene said. “They almost knocked off a couple of good teams. They are very well coached.

“So yeah, we knew it was going to be a tough one and a big one for us. I think we started the game with great energy. We were flying around on defense, getting a lot of shots, a lot of energy from the bench.”

For the Bulldogs, junior guard Emily Edgerly scored the team-high 14 points.

“Spruce, I thought they played very well,” Madison coach Albert Veneziano said. “Offensively, I thought they moved the ball very well. They got shots from No. 24 (Baker) and 4 (Cole).

“I mean they hit some shots tonight. I thought we didn’t give up. We kept on playing. We kept working hard. We just kept playing hard and I think that is all you can ask for. We believed we could come back and that is all you can ask for.”

Madison’s Katie Worthen (51) grabs a rebound as Spruce Mountain’s Julianne Doiron (21) defends in an MVC game at The Nest in Jay on Friday. (Tony Blasi/Sun Journal)

Spruce Mountain’s Calley Baker (22) and Madison’s Abi Spaulding (11) and Katie Worthen (51) reach for a rebound in an MVC game at The Nest in Jay on Friday. (Tony Blasi/Sun Journal)